Budo in Japan




Traditional sports in Japan, called budo ("way of the warrior"), have been in existence since the twelfth century. Members of the warrior class trained in certain branches of budo, including sword art, unarmed combat, archery, spear art, horsemanship, and swimming. During the Edo period (1600~1868), budo, which put stress on their mental aspects, were established as martial arts. When the social class system ended after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, participation in budo declined. In 1895, the Great Japan Martial Arts Association was established, reviving budo. The most popular budo today are judo, aikido, karate, kendo, and kyudo. These sports have become a part of the physical education program and extracurricular activities in many primary and secondary schools in Japan.


  • Judo
  • Aikido
  • Karate
  • Kendo
  • Kyudo
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